Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1887-06-18


driver had sounded once more on his awful
bugle and away went the cart at full gallop,
| bearing with it JESS two other passenger
| and her majeSty'S mails John and Bessie
stood for moment watching its mad career,
as it went splasbing and banging down the
| struggling street toward the wide plains be
yond, and then turned to enter the inn again
and prepare for their honleward drive. As
they did so, an old Boer, named Hans Coetzce.
with whom John was already slightly ac-
quainted, came up, and, extending an enor-
mously big and thick hand, bid them "Gooden
daag" Hans Coetzee was a very favorable
specimen of the better sort of Boer, and
really came moro or less up to the ideal pict-
ure that is SO often drawn of that simple
pastoral people" He was very large, stout
man, with a fine open face and pair of
kindly eyes, John, looking at him. guessed
that he could not weigh less than seventeen
stone, and he was well within the mark at
| that.
"How are you, captein?" he said in English,
for he could talk English well. "and how do
YOU like the Transvaall-must not call it
South African Republic now, you know, for
that's treason" and his eyes twinkled merrily.
II like it very much, meinheer,n said John.
"Ah, yes it's beautiful veldt, especially
about here-no horse sickness, no blue
tongue and good strong grass for the cat
tie. And you must find yourself very snug
at ON (Uncle) Croft's there; it's the incest
place in the district, with the ostriches and
ALL Not that l hold with ostriches in this
veldt; they are well enough in the Old Col
ony, but they won't breed here-at least, not
as they should do l tried them once and
know; oh, yes, l know"
"Yes, it is very fine country, meinheer
hax haot, oil fhz world almost and
never saw a finer"
"You don't say so, now! Almighty, what
a thing it is to have travelled! Not that l
should like to travel myself. l think that the
Lord meant us to stop in the place he has
made for u.s. But it is fine country, and
dropping his voice. l think it is finer
country than it used to be-"
"You mean that the veldt has got tame,
meinheer"
"Nay. nay. mean that the land is English
now,n he answered, mysterioungly, "and
though dare not say so among my volk, l
hope that it Will keep English. When / was
Republican, was Republican, and it was good
in some ways, the republic. There was SO
little to pay in taxes, and we knew how to
manage the black volk but now l am Eng
lish, am English. know the English gov
ernment means good money and safety, and
if there isn't raad assembly now, well,
what does it matterl Almighty, how they
used to talk therei- clack, clack, clack!
Just like an old black koran species of
bustard) at sunset. And where did they run
the wagon of the republic to-Burgers and
those id Hollanders of his, and the rest
of them9 Why, into the sluit-into slut with
peaty banks; and there it would have stopped
till now, or till the flood came down and
swept it away, if old Shepstone-ahl what a
tongue that man has, and how fond he is OF
the kinderchiesl-Qitt children)-had not
come and pulled it out again. But look here,
captein, the volk round here don't think like
that It's the 'verdomde Britisch gouvern.
ment' here and the 'verdomde Britisch
government there, and 'bymakaars' (meet-
ings) here and 'bymakaars' there. Silly
volk, they all run one after the
other like sheep But there it is, cap
tein, and l tell you there will be
fighting before long, and then our people
will shoot those poor rooibaatjes (red jackets
of yours like buck and take the land back
Poor thingsl l could weep when l think
of it."
John smiled at this melancholy prognosti
cation, and was about to explain what poor
show all the Beers in the Transvaal would
make in front of few British regiments
when he was astonished by sudden change
in his friends manner Dropping his enor
nous paw on to his shoulder, Coetzee broke
into burst of somewhat forced merriment
the cause of which was, though John did moi
guess it at the moment, that he had just per
ceived Frank MulleS, who was in Walker
stroom with wagon load of corn to grinc
, at the mill, standing within five yards anc
apparently intensely interested in Tipping
at the flies With cowrie made of the tail o
a vilderbeeste, but in reality listening t.
Coetzees talk with all his ears.
"Ha, hal 'nef' " mephow), said old Coetze,
to the astonished John, "no wonder you lik,
Mooifontein-there are other mooi pretty
things there besides the water. How Otter
10 you opsit (sit up at night with Unci
Croft's pretty girl, cha I'm not quite a
blind as an ant bear yet. saw her blusl
when you spoke to her just now saw her
Well, WELL it is pretty game for youn!
man, isn't it, 'nef Frankf' this was ad
dressed to Muller). "I'll be bound the cap
tein here burns long candle with pretty
Bessie every night-eh, Franks / hope yol
amt jealous, 'nef'! My vrouw told ME SOM
) time ago that you were sweet in that di
rection yourself" and he stopped at last, on
of breath, and looked anxiously toward Mul
Ter for an answer, while John, who had beel
somewhat overwhelmed at this flow of bu
collie chaff, gave a sigh of relief. AS TO
Muller he behaved in a curious manner. In
i stead of laughing, as the jolly old Boer ha'
intended that he should, he had, although
Coetzee could not see it, been turning blacke
} and blacker; and now that the flow o
language ceased he, with a savage ejaculation
which John could not catch, but which he ap
.. peared to throw at his Uohn's) head. turne
on his heel and went Off toward the court
, yard of the inn.
almighty" said old Hans, wiping his fac
with red cotton pocket handkerchief; g
have put my foot into big hole. That stin
cat Muller heard all that was saying to you
. and l tell you he will save it up and save
up, and one day he will bring it all out to tn
volk and call me traitor to the land an
ruin me. l know him. He knows how
balance long stick on his little finger S
, that the ends keep even. Oh, yes, he ca